20 
OBITUARY 
With the death of my old friend, Charles William Holland, 1868- 
1952, the Queensland Naturalists' Club lost its oldest surviving 
member and one of the little band of Brisbane Naturalists who saw 
the beginnings of our Club in 1906, then known as the "Field 
Naturalists' Club' Mr. Holland was appointed Assistant Secre- 
tary to Mr. Jas, Johston who, with the first President, Mr. Henry 
Tryon, and Mr. J. S. Shirley, were the prime movers in the early 
life of the Club The following year he was appointed Hon. 
Secretary and Treasurer and gave material help in those office 
to the Club, right up till 1912 when he left our shores as Secretary 
to the Prickly Pear Travelling Commission. The Commission was 
overseas till 1914 and brought back much valuable information 
which later resulted in the complete control and destruction of 
this menace in Queensland. The Commission also concerned it- 
self with investigations into the possible control of other pests, 
particularly the rabbit and flying fox, which were worrying the 
Government at that time. One consequence of his appointment 
was, of course, that he had to relinquish his position in the Club 
as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. 
Mr. Holland was born in London in 1868, came to Australia in 
1880, and was resident in Brisbane for over seventy years. He 
joined the State Public Service about 1900 and became Under 
Secretary for Lands in 1924. He retired from the Public Service at 
the age of sixty-seven and passed away at his home in Toowong 
on April 1 7th 1952. He leaves a widow two daughters, Mrs. Karl 
Haigh, of Junee, New South Wales, and Margaret, a former Presi- 
dent of the Club still with her mother at the home in Toowong. 
also a son, Charles, at present with the Bank of N.S.W., Winton. 
He will be best known by those who were with him as our 
able and energetic Hon. Secretary to whom nothing was ever a 
trouble where the interests of the Club were concerned, but in 
his latter years, when failing health prevented his attendance at 
our evening meetings, Mr. Holland continued to do good work for 
the Club each year as Hon. Auditor of the Club's accounts. 
Mr. Holland's special hobbies were microscopy and photo- 
graphy. He was active in matters of bird preservation and the 
creation of private sanctuaries, and it is appropriate that at the 
end of his days there should appear in our Journal a very thought- 
ful article by Mr. Holland advocating greater efforts to protect our 
vanishing native birds 
From all who knew him goes forth our thankfulness for his 
work with the Club and our sincerest sympathy to his wife and 
family who are left to mourn his passing. 
G. H. B. 
